“Now, I need to go.” Her voice broke at the end, just a little bit, before she ran out of the room. It took me two seconds to snap into gear.Fuck this.We were talking about it. It was Greta. My best friend. We talked about everything and I’d rather die than lose our friendship.
I threw on old jeans and a sweatshirt, forgoing shoes to find her before she was out of view. It didn’t take long. The dumbass didn’t have a jacket and was running in forty-degree weather.
“Greta, goddamn it.” I jogged up to her, the two-second lead she had not enough to escape me. “Stop. I’ll drive you. It’s fucking freezing.”
“N-no. I-I… I’m fine.” She shivered, her teeth chattering. She still refused to meet my eyes. I gripped her arm. Not painfully. “Let me go, Aaron.”
“I’m pissed as fuck at you. But I give a shit so I’m driving you back.” I didn’t wait for some snide remark. I was beyond pissed. Annoyed. Shocked. All of it. And it wasn’t a good combo.
I picked her up, her hands hitting my back as I carried her back toward the house. It wasn’t more than a block and no one was up or out at the time. I ignored her screams. The ridiculous notion of her… No. It couldn’t be true. She was being dramatic.
“Aaron. I swear to god. Put me down, now.”
“You’re being a dumbass. No.” I gripped her tighter. Her resolve lessened and her legs became limp. “I’m driving you home. We’re talking.”
She remained silent until we reached the car. As soon as I set her down, she jumped into the front seat and crossed her arms.She broke my goddamn heart and she’s pissed at me? Fuck that.
“Greta, are youreallyinterested in Tony?” I started the car and waited, hoped and prayed she said no. I needed her to.
“Yes.” A long exhalation filled the silence. “This has been fun, but that’s all it was, right? Fun. Fake. Staged. We both agreed to it.”
Knife to the heart.My own pain masked how she said the words like a question. I selfishly thought how she’d hurt me, and ignored the look of pain that flashed across her face. She continued talking as I headed down the street toward her place. It was amazing how, within twelve hours, I’d gone from the highest to the lowest moment possible. “It started the day I went to get the piercings. I ran into him at one of my shows you didn’t go to. We chatted and, well, I figured I’d like to give it a shot. It’s only ending the sham two weeks early. This means you can go w-wild at New Year’s.”
I glanced at her. The face I loved, wanted, craved was turned away from me. Her brown eyes didn’t meet mine, and when they did, they wouldn’t be filled withlove. Not anymore. “Greta.” My voice broke once we got to her parking lot. “Look, I think—”
Her eyes filled with hope. They widened, an expectant look on her face. God, how could I prevent her from being happy, even if it wasn’t with me? She was always honest with me and if she wanted a chance with this guy… I couldn’t stop her. I had no right after everything she’d done for me. I was a selfish guy, but notthatselfish. With a throat full of cotton and a stomach filled with rocks, I asked, “Will we still be friends?”
Her face fell. I would’ve preferred a punch to the gut. “Sure, Aaron. I gotta go. Thanks…for everything.”
She got out of the car, not looking back once when she got into the apartment. She’d gone above and beyond for me, playing the game and being my best friend. I shouldn’t feel so miserable.Right?
* * * *
Aaron: Hey, want to grab a coffee?
Greta: Nah, I can’t today. Sorry.
Aaron: When’s your next show? Tonight?
Greta: Nope, next Saturday.
Aaron: Want to grab a drink before or after?
Greta: Can’t. Plans already, sorry.
Aaron: Are we okay?
Greta: We’re fine. Just super busy.
Aaron: I want to see my best friend. Tell me when.
Great: Soon.
I fisted my phone, the urge to smash it against the tile in the kitchen seeming like a damn good idea. Every attempt I had made to talk to her, see her,fuck, even text her had been unsuccessful. How could she, after everything we’d been through, just cut me off?
One week. One week without seeing her or talking to her and I was about to lose my goddamn mind. My world felt off-balance, the yin and the yang not aligning, and I don’t think I smiled the whole time.
Is this what heartbreak is? It sucks. Big-ass balls.
